Maryville's Logan Graumann has big day at KISL meet

Not only is her Maryville High School team smaller than a number of the Knoxville teams, but she also competes in the shortest distances.

However, she still managed to put on a big performance Saturday night during the Knox-area Interscholastic Swim League meet by winning two individual events. She set a meet record of 23.69 seconds in the 50-yard freestyle, and also beat the field in the 100 free (51.94).

“It felt great,” she said of her record time. “That was about a tenth of a second off my best time.”

Graumann’s wins came on a night of several sterling performances. Also breaking meet records were Walker Higgins of Smoky Mountain Home Education Association in the 200 free (1:39.46), John Myhre of Webb in the 100 free (45.35), Maggie Melhorn of SMHEA in the 100 breaststroke (1:03.96), Bryar Long of Bearden in the 100 breaststroke (58.59), and the Webb 200 free (1:26.88) and 400 free (3:11.39) relay teams.

Long, who is just a sophomore, was already thrilled with his night after winning the 200 individual medley (1:56.32) early in the finals.

“I was very pleased,” he said. “It was a lot of hard work and it all paid off.”

Myhre, who won the 100 backstroke (51.67) as well, was also credited with breaking the 18-year-old 50 free record due to his leadoff leg of 20.92 seconds in the 200 free relay.

In the overall combined team competition, Bearden finished first with 531 points, followed by Farragut (420), Webb (417), Hardin Valley (389), and West (344).

Graumann, who hopes to swim next year for either West Virginia or Western Kentucky, said she prefers shorter distances due to their brief times.

“I just like going faster quicker and not having to swim for as long, so the 50 is especially my favorite race,” she said.

Other individual winners Saturday were 14-year-old Mary Margaret Banick of West in the 200 free (1:53.37) and the 500 free (5:03.47); Will Arthur of Hardin Valley in the 50 free (21.52); Chandler Ott of Bearden in the 100 butterfly (58.73); Ryan Burcham of Bearden in the 100 fly (50.66); Hayden Burns of Bearden in the 500 free (4:33.98); and Margaret Stansberry of Christian Academy of Knoxville in the 100 backstroke (58.21).

Melhorn also won the 200 IM (2:05.60).

One swimmer who did not necessarily have a great night — even though he has not competed in a KISL meet in 12 years — was former Webb swimmer Davis Tarwater.

The 2012 Olympic relay gold medalist had his 2002 record in the 100 free broken and his record in the 500 free nearly eclipsed.